R. Eleazar further discoursed on the verse; “A song of ascents; of Solomon. Except the Lord build the house, thy labour is in vain”, etc. (Ps. 127, 1). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘was uttered by Solomon at the time when, having begun to build the Temple he became aware that the work proceeded of itself, as it were, in the hands of the labourers. “Except the Lord”, he thus said, “build the house”, etc. This alludes to the statement that “In the beginning God created heaven and earth” (Gen. 1, 1), and tells us that the Holy One, blessed be He, created and garnished this world and fitted it out with all its requirements, thus making it a House.
“They labour in vain that build it”: this alludes to the streams that come forth and enter the House in order to furnish it with all its needs; try as they may, yet except the Lord of the supernal world make the House and put it in proper order, they labour in vain. “Except the Lord keep the city”, etc. (Ibid.). This is in harmony with the verse: “The eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year” (Deut. 11, 12), indicating the providence by which it is guarded on all sides.
And though it is also written, “Behold, it is the couch of Solomon; threescore mighty men are about it” (S.S. 3, 7), all guarding it, this is “because of dread in the night” (Ibid. 8), to wit, the dread of Gehinnom that confronts it and tries to annihilate it. All thus are standing guard round about it.
1The text here repeats the passage from Zohar, Genesis, 65a, commencing, “That unknowable light” to “is called En-sof”. When the Thought is illumined, it remains undisclosed and unknowable, but it forms a centre of energies and of expansion in all directions.
One outcome of that expansion is the Supernal World, the world of interrogation, as it were, or of the Supreme Utterance, the world called “Who?”, alluded to in “Lift up your eyes on high, and see: Who hath created these?”, or in other words, the creative utterance, the Who?, created these;
but subsequently it expanded and became the sea, symbolic of the lowest grade, and created a lower world after the pattern of the upper, the two being the counterparts of each other. Hence the guarding of the universe is from above downwards, that is, from the upper world which was formed by the expansion of the Thought.
We thus understand the meaning of the passage, saying, “Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman watcheth in vain”, “the watchman” referring to the watchman of Israel,1i.e. Metatron, the chief of the angels. since protection depends not on him but on the higher world.
Note that the blue employed in the work of the Tabernacle symbolized the mystery of the upper world, the blue and the purple together symbolized the knitting together of the upper world and the lower.
תּוּ פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים קכ״ז:א׳) שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת לִשְׁלֹמֹה אִם יְיָ' לֹא יִבְנֶה בַיִת וְגוֹ', הַאי קְרָא שְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא אֲמַר לֵיהּ, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּהֲוָה בָּנֵי בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא וְשָׁארִי לְמִבְנֵי, וַהֲוָה חָמֵי דְּעוֹבָדָא אִתְתַּקְנַת בִּידַיְיהוּ, וַהֲוָה מִתְבְּנֵי מִגַּרְמֵיהּ, כְּדֵין שָׁארֵי וְאָמַר אִם יְיָ' לֹא יִבְנְה בַיִת וְגוֹ', הַיְינוּ רָזָא דִּכְתִּיב בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלהִים, דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בָּרָא וְאַתְקִין לְהַאי עָלְמָא, בְּכָל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ, דְּאִיהוּ בַּיִת.
R. Eleazar further discoursed on the verse; “A song of ascents; of Solomon. Except the Lord build the house, thy labour is in vain”, etc. (Ps. 127, 1). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘was uttered by Solomon at the time when, having begun to build the Temple he became aware that the work proceeded of itself, as it were, in the hands of the labourers. “Except the Lord”, he thus said, “build the house”, etc. This alludes to the statement that “In the beginning God created heaven and earth” (Gen. 1, 1), and tells us that the Holy One, blessed be He, created and garnished this world and fitted it out with all its requirements, thus making it a House.
שָׁוְא עָמְלוּ בוֹנָיו בּוֹ, אִלֵּין רָזָא דְּאִינּוּן נַהֲרִין, (נ"א נחלין) דְּנָפְקִין וְעָאלִין כֻּלְּהוּ בְּגוֹ הַאי בַּיִת, לְאַתְקְנָא לֵיהּ בְּכָל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ. וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּכֻלְּהוּ קָא אַתְיָין לְאַתְקְנָא לְמֶעְבַּד תִּקּוּנֵיהּ, וַדַּאי אִם יְיָ', דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא דְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה, דְּאַתְקִין (ס"א ביתיה לא אתקין) וְעָבִיד בֵּיתָא כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, אִינּוּן בּוֹנִין לְמַגָּנָא אִינּוּן, אֶלָּא מַה דְּאִיהוּ עָבִיד וְאַתְקִין. אִם יְיָ' לא יִשְׁמָר עִיר, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב (דברים י״א:י״ב) תָּמִיד עֵינֵי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּה מֵרִשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד אַחֲרִית שָׁנָה וְאוֹקְמוּהָ. וּבְאַשְׁגָּחוּתָא דָּא, אִיהִי נְטִירָא בְּכָל סִטְרִין.
“They labour in vain that build it”: this alludes to the streams that come forth and enter the House in order to furnish it with all its needs; try as they may, yet except the Lord of the supernal world make the House and put it in proper order, they labour in vain. “Except the Lord keep the city”, etc. (Ibid.). This is in harmony with the verse: “The eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year” (Deut. 11, 12), indicating the providence by which it is guarded on all sides.
וְאַף עַל גַּב דִּכְתִּיב, (שיר השירים ג׳:ז׳-ח׳) הִנִּה מִטָּתוֹ שֶׁלִּשְׁלֹמֹה שִׁשִּׁים גִּבּוֹרִים סָבִיב לָהּ מִגִּבּוֹרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְכֻלְּהוּ נַטְרֵי לָהּ. מַאי טַעְמָא נַטְרֵי לָהּ. בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב מִפַּחַד בַּלֵּילוֹת, דָּא פַּחְדָּא דְּגֵיהִנָּם, דְּקָאִים לָקֳבְלָה, בְּגִין לְדַחְיָיא לָהּ, וּבְגִין דָּא כֻּלְּהוּ סַחֲרִין לָהּ. (נדפס רס"ח ע"ב)
And though it is also written, “Behold, it is the couch of Solomon; threescore mighty men are about it” (S.S. 3, 7), all guarding it, this is “because of dread in the night” (Ibid. 8), to wit, the dread of Gehinnom that confronts it and tries to annihilate it. All thus are standing guard round about it.
וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּכֻלְּהוּ קַיְימֵי בִּנְהִירוּ דְּמַחֲשָׁבָה דְּלָא אִתְיְידַע. וּכְדֵין, הַאי נְהִירוּ דְּמַחֲשָׁבָה דְּלָא אִתְיְידַע, בָּטַשׁ בִּנְהִירוּ דִּפְרִיסָא וְנַהֲרִין כַּחֲדָא וְאִתְעָבִידוּ (רס"ט ע"א) תֵּשַׁע הֵיכָלִין.
1The text here repeats the passage from Zohar, Genesis, 65a, commencing, “That unknowable light” to “is called En-sof”. When the Thought is illumined, it remains undisclosed and unknowable, but it forms a centre of energies and of expansion in all directions.
וְהֵיכָלִין לָאו אִינּוּן נְהוֹרִין, וְלָאו אִינּוּן רוּחִין, וְלָאו אִינּוּן נִשְׁמָתִין, וְלָא אִית מַאן דְּקַיְּימָא בְּהוּ. רְעוּתָא דְּכָל תֵּשַׁע נְהוֹרִין דְּקַיְימֵי כֻּלְּהוּ בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה, דְּאִיהִי חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא, דְּכֻלְּהוּ לְמִרְדַּף אֲבַתְרַיְיהוּ, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקַיְימֵי בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה. וְלָא מִתְדַּבְּקָן, וְלָא אִתְיְידִיעוּ, אִלֵּין לָא קַיְימֵי, לָא בִּרְעוּתָא, וְלָא בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה עִלָּאָה. תָּפְסִין בָּהּ וְלָא תַּפְסִין. בְּאִלֵּין קַיְימִין כָּל רָזֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא, וְכָל אִינּוּן נְהוֹרִין מֵרָזָא דְּמַחֲשָׁבָה עִלָּאָה. דִּלְתַתָּא כֻּלְּהוּ אִקְרוּן אֵין סוֹף. עַד הָכָא מָטוּן נְהוֹרִין וְלָא מָטוּן, וְלָא אִתְיְידִיעוּ. לָאו הָכָא מַחֲשָׁבָה וְלָאו רְעוּתָא.
כַּד נָהִיר מַחֲשָׁבָה, וְלָאו אִתְיְידַע מִמַּה נָהִיר כְּדֵין אִתְלָבָּשׁ וְאַסְתִּים גּוֹ בִּינָה, וְנָהִיר (מאן) לְמַּה דְּנָהִיר, וְעָאִיל דָּא בְּדָא, עַד דְּאִתְכְּלִילוּ כֻּלְּהוּ כַּחֲדָא, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ. וּבְרָזָא דְּקָרְבְּנָא, כַּד סָלִיק כֹּלָּא, אִתְקָשָּׁר דָּא בְּדָא, וְנָהִיר דָּא בְּדָא, כְּדֵין קַיְימִין כֻּלְּהוּ בִּסְלִיקוּ, וּמַחֲשָׁבָה אִתְעֲטָּר בְּאֵין סוֹף, הַהוּא נְהִירוּ דְּנָהִיר מִנֵּיהּ מַחֲשָׁבָה עִלָּאָה, אִקְרֵי אֵין סוֹף. (ע"כ)
One outcome of that expansion is the Supernal World, the world of interrogation, as it were, or of the Supreme Utterance, the world called “Who?”, alluded to in “Lift up your eyes on high, and see: Who hath created these?”, or in other words, the creative utterance, the Who?, created these;
כֵּיוָן דְּאַנְהִיר וְאִתְפָּשָּׁטוּ מִנֵּיהּ חֵילִין, הַהִיא מַחֲשָׁבָה אַסְתִּים וְאַגְנִיז וְלָא יְדִיעַ, וּמִתַּמָּן אִתְפָּשַּׁט פְּשִׁיטוּתָא לְכָל סִטְרִין, וְאִתְפָּשַּׁט מִנֵּיהּ חַד פְּשִׁיטוּ, דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא דְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה.
When the Thought is illumined, it remains undisclosed and unknowable, but it forms a centre of energies and of expansion in all directions.
וְדָא קַיְּימָא (ל"א ע"א) בִּשְּׁאֶלְתָּא, וְאִיהוּ מַאֲמָר עִלָּאָה, וְאוּקְמוּהָ דְּאִקְרֵי מִ"י. דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו מ׳:כ״ו) שְׂאוּ מָרוֹם עֵינֵיכֶם וּרְאוּ מִי בָרָא אֵלֶּה. שְׁאֶלְתָּא הַהוּא דְּבָרָא אֵלֶּה. לְבָתַר אִתְפָּשַׁט וְאִתְעָבִיד יָם, (נ"ו ע"א) סוֹפָא דְּכָל דַּרְגִּין, דְּאִיהוּ לְתַתָּא. וּמִתַּמָּן שָׁארֵי לְמִבְנֵי לְתַתָּא. וְכֹלָּא עָבִיד בְּהַהוּא גַּוְונָא מַמָּשׁ דִּלְעֵילָּא דָּא, לָקֳבֵל דָּא. וְדָא כְּגַוְונָא דְּדָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, נְטִירוּ דְּכֹלָּא מֵעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא.
but subsequently it expanded and became the sea, symbolic of the lowest grade, and created a lower world after the pattern of the upper, the two being the counterparts of each other. Hence the guarding of the universe is from above downwards, that is, from the upper world which was formed by the expansion of the Thought.
וְהַאי פְּשִׁיטוּ, דְּמַחֲשָׁבָה אִיהוּ, דְּאִיהוּ עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה. וְדָא אִיהוּ אִם יְיָ' לא יִשְׁמָר עִיר שָׁוְא שָׁקַד שׁוֹמֵר, דְּאִיהוּ שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל. (נ"א שקד שומר ההוא דכתיב ביה (משלי כ״ז:י״ח) ושומר אדוניו יכובד) דְּלָאו בֵּיהּ קַיְּימָא נְטִירוּ, אֶלָּא בְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה.
We thus understand the meaning of the passage, saying, “Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman watcheth in vain”, “the watchman” referring to the watchman of Israel,1i.e. Metatron, the chief of the angels. since protection depends not on him but on the higher world.
תָּא חֲזֵי, תִּכְלָא דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא, כֹּלָּא קַיְּימָא בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה, וְאוּקְמוּהָ. תְּכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן חַד, לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בְּחַד. וְהָא אִתְּמַר בְּרָזָא דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים ד׳:כ״ד) כִּי יְיָ' אֱלהֶיךָ אֵשׁ אֹכְלָה הוּא. וְהָא אִתְּמַר דְּאִית אֶשָּׁא אֹכְלָא אֶשָּׁא, וְאָכִיל לֵיהּ וְשָׁצֵי לֵיהּ. בְּגִין דְּאִית אֶשָּׁא תַּקִּיפָא מֵאֶשָּׁא.
Note that the blue employed in the work of the Tabernacle symbolized the mystery of the upper world, the blue and the purple together symbolized the knitting together of the upper world and the lower.